Your furry friend will wrap their front two legs around the intended target (say, for instance, your arm) and, like a little thumper, will kick at the target with their hind legs. Cats typically perform this bunny-kick move when engaging in aggressive play or when they're attacking their prey (i.e., your arm).
"The short answer is 'No. ' Even in play, bunny kicking is an aggressive response that you do not want to promote with your cat." Dr. Susan adds, "Though your cat may not mean to harm you and is just engaging in aggressive play, the damage their claws can cause your hands, arms, feet, or legs can be severe.
Cats often bite during play because they are expressing their natural hunting instinct. For kittens, biting and bunny-kicking are normal play behaviours. They play like this with their littermates and mothers and it mimics how they pounce, grab and bite their prey.
Owners should understand that kicking is an indication of how secure a rabbit feels when being held. Proper handling is the best option to help prevent this unwanted behavior. Rabbits may kick when they are running around in an open area or when they are being held by a human companion.
Lunging and swatting
Often times with rabbits, lunging is a warning. They don't want to hurt you, but they are letting you know they could if you don't back off. This behavior is almost always accompanied by a growl.
Happy and Relaxed Behaviors
Binky (jump in the air): When rabbits are very happy, they can jump up in the air with a sideways kick or a body shake.
When cats bunny kick, it can be playful! Many healthy cats enjoy the act of “play wrestling” with other familiar cats, toys, pets, or humans. So, when a cat grabs ahold of their toys or your hand (ouch!) and starts giving it cute little cat bunny kicks, they're likely playing, and not violently attacking.
Cats have sensitive paws and like to swat things around to check them out. This is something they do with their prey too.
Instead, whenever the cat begins to swat or play attack, immediately stop the play by walking away or by using some non-physical form of punishment such as a water sprayer, can of compressed air, cap gun, hand held alarm or perhaps a loud hiss.
There's a difference between rough play and aggression
During fun play, ears and tails will be straight up in the air. There may be some hissing, but play is usually quiet. If you notice a cat's ears turn toward the back of the head (“airplane ears”) or you hear growling, the play has tipped over into aggression.
Are you confused when your cat is snuggling on your lap, purring, seemingly content, you are gently stroking them and all is harmonious… then they turn around and bite you? Rest assured, this is not unusual! Some kitty lovers call this a 'love bite', others call it petting aggression.
Sensitivity threshold: The cat enjoys the human contact at first, but then the repetitiveness of the petting becomes irritating. The cat turns and bites as a way to say, “I've had enough.” An analogy to human behavior can be made. If someone pats you on the back, it feels good.
Yelling at cats doesn't work because they don't respond to auditory punishment, Dr. Houpt says, nor do aversive techniques, such as shaking a can of coins, spraying them with water or flicking them on their nose with your finger. “Those certainly won't endear the cat to the owner.” They also border on abuse.
Some cats may gently nibble or bite their owners as a sign of affection. It is thought to be reminiscent of how a mother cat will groom her kittens with small bites and is more common in cats who have had litters.
A cabbit is a fictional hybrid between a cat and a rabbit. They have appeared in fiction and fantasy stories including Japanese anime and manga, and have also been dubiously claimed to have been observed in the wild. Most if not all observations are attributable to either misidentified Manx cats or outright hoaxes.
Start the interaction
The cat should be let loose while the rabbit is safe in a closed cage. Let the animals get used to each other's smell, movement, and behavior. It will take a while before you can let the rabbit loose, but try to enable the interaction at least an hour a day.
Hold rabbits gently but firmly - ensure one hand supports their back and hindquarters at all times. Help them feel secure by holding all four feet against your body. Never pick rabbits up by their ears - this would be extremely stressful and is highly likely to injure them.
Bunnies will nip to get your attention, or to politely ask you to move out of their way. Rabbits usually do not bite, but if one does, generally it doesn't mean that he hates you.
Hugging your arm or leg and biting you is a classic cat hunting move. When cats catch large prey, they will often grasp it with their front legs and then bite it while 'bunny kicking' with their back legs. If your cat is doing this to you, they are misdirecting their hunting behaviour onto you.
Cats are natural born hunters so if your cat grabs and bites your hand, it is replicating hunting behaviour and pretending your hand is the prey. Often, they wrap their front paws around your hand, scratch with their back feet and then bite – this is how they would kill their prey in the wild.
Nudging, head butting or rubbing against you is rabbit body language for loving attention. 'Give them a stroke or cuddle, or what you know they enjoy', says Rosie. 'Rubbing their faces against you is a way of sharing their scent profile, and showing that you really are friends.
Stop petting them and place your hand on either side of their head, near their nose. If the rabbit softly nudges your hand or does nothing and just sits there expectantly, then you know your rabbit is enjoying being pet and wants more.
Bunnies show affection by grooming, so if your rabbits gently nuzzle, lick, and perhaps even try to nibble you gently, they are showing you that they love and care for you. This is also a sign of submission. Sometimes your bunny will lick and nibble your clothing or a piece of nearby fabric instead of you.